How to Stay Number 1?

nervous about getting knocked off ...

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alika

9:15 pm on Jan 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

We finally reached #1 in Google for our main, most generic keyword. A year ago, we were in the bottom top 10. Then from middle of last year until a couple of weeks ago, we were either #2 or #3. For the last couple of weeks, we finally became #1.

And we immediately saw a significant increase in our ad revenues (both Adsense and banner ads). In fact, our banner ad network even sent us an email to tell us that they noticed the significant increase in our traffic.

How do you sustain a #1 position? This is the first time we got this position for our main most valuable keyword -- and I am nervous as he**. I keep checking Google to see if the site is still #1 or we have been bumped off by our competitors.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions ... Thanks

pleeker

9:20 pm on Jan 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

Keep doing the good things that got you to No. 1. It's like staying on top in anything -- you focus on what got you there in the first place, and you do more of it, and better.

Good luck, and congrats. :)

pleeker

9:22 pm on Jan 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

Whoops. And I should add that constantly watching your ranking to see if you've dropped out of No. 1 does not count as "focusing on what got you there." Stop watching what Google does and focus on what you do. :)

alika

12:50 am on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

Thanks pleeker ... I guess my paranoia stems from the fact that the previous #1 and #2 are now in the 3rd page of search results. Not just knocked down by 1 or 2 steps, but thrown far away

Prophet

12:56 am on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

Links baby!

Did I say that out loud?

businessezines

7:44 am on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

Pay attention to the changes you made to make the jumps. It was probably adding some excellent links, or Google picking up some links which you had added earlier. To stay #1 keep adding links from quality websites and you will begin to put more and more distance between your site and the rest.

raj_freind8

ukgimp

Assume that your competitors are working hard to know you of the top spot. They wont stop until they do which means that you too must not stop.

wanna_learn

12:17 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

After Florida knockout, I can say "pray hard"

steveb

12:19 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

Contrary to the above it should be critically important to you to "keep checking Google". Even if your site doesn't move from number one, other sites will be moving around, and there are always lessons to be learned in that (even if we often can't figure them out).

GranPops

12:56 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

Congrats.

Continue with the 3 important steps.

1. Links 2. Links 3. Links

ronin

1:52 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

Getting links is all very well, but I wish people would try to get links by developing exceptional content which inspires other sites to link to them rather than sending off a couple of thousand emails every day in a bid to capitalise on the splattergun effect.

I'm _sick to death_ of the emails I get every day informing me of how I much I would benefit if I would exchange links with a given site.

What's the point? Firstly, it utterly devalues PageRank. If anyone here thought Florida was bad, just wait until Google gives up on all incoming links unless they meet a very stringent criteria (eg. coming from companies in the Fortune 500 or sites that are listed in at least four major internet directories).

There is an argument that people who refuse to go out and beg for links and/or link exchanges just aren't with the programme... but every link exchange which is set up predominantly for the benefit of robots just chips away at the value that links once had in defining a worthwhile site... and makes it less likely that links will play much of a prominent role in the future.

By contrast, I think a link exchange with an on-topic site is an excellent method of mutual promotion. But most of the spammy link begging letters I receive are not only off-topic, but obviously generic and I won't waste my time with people who tell me that my site is 'an excellent resource' when it's pretty plain that they haven't even read one page of it (or of the 1000 other sites that they simultaneously sent emails to).

My tip would be: if you have a page which is ranking number one (for the moment) stop worrying about that page, think about the topic, and ask yourself if you can write about a related topic.

For instance, if you are writing about the leading French film directors of the 1960s, why not devote a page or a section to the leading French film directors of the 1970s?

The bottom line is - it's better to be number 6 for 500 relevant words or phrases across 500 pages than number 1 for a single keyphrase on a single page.

tigger

2:06 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

>>After Florida knockout, I can say "pray hard"

agree, after Florida 80% of my money earning keyword rankings for clients have vanished, you may have it now don't bank on it being their next month

pleeker

6:10 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

Contrary to the above it should be critically important to you to "keep checking Google".

When the focus switches more to what Google is doing than what you are doing, that's a mistake.

Even if your site doesn't move from number one, other sites will be moving around, and there are always lessons to be learned in that (even if we often can't figure them out).

Exactly. All the looking at Google in the world can be fruitless when we don't understand what's causing changes in the SERPs. We also don't know what the competing sites may have done to cause the changes, and it would similarly be a waste of time (at least for most of us who have businesses to run or many clients to service) to sit around day after day analyzing the source code of the next five sites to see what changes they're making to effect changes in the SERPs.

An extreme example for sure, but I never suggested completely ignoring the SERPs. My original point remains that the best way to stay atop the SERPs is to figure out what you're doing right, do more of it, and do it better. Keep the balance of focus on that. (Esp. since it's the only thing you can control!)

alika

6:11 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

Thanks for the inputs everyone. Yes, it must be the links. We reactivated our related links section, and have begun to accept new reciprocal links. We stopped for a while as we got fed up with submissions from people who don't read our requirements -- e.g. reciprocal links, etc. We also weeded out our outbound links to make sure that we're linking only to sites with good PR.

We have a number of keywords where we're #1, and many others in the top 10. But this is the "mother of all keywords" for our niche. We have one keyword where we are #1 for the last 3 years or so - never even bumped off even once. Even with the Florida update, I think we only lost a top 10 ranking in 1 of our keywords.

My fear stems from seeing Yahoo results for the same keyword. There are instances when we're #1. But sometimes I see #7. With Google, thankfully, our rank never budges. I know Yahoo uses Google results, but I am hoping that it will be the Google results that will stick -- and not the occasional #7 at Yahoo. What is the trend normally? Is the Yahoo results for the same keyword a foreboding of things to come? Or are they just delayed?

Thanks again ...

pleeker

7:23 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

I know Yahoo uses Google results, but I am hoping that it will be the Google results that will stick -- and not the occasional #7 at Yahoo. What is the trend normally? Is the Yahoo results for the same keyword a foreboding of things to come? Or are they just delayed?

Right now, Y is in a state of flux as they appear to be making the move away from Google results to their own internal results that come from the combined purchases last year of Inktomi, Overture, etc.

You may want to check out the Yahoo Forum [webmasterworld.com] for the latest discussion of what they're showing and when they're showing it. I think it would be off-topic in this Forum to go into detail about what Y is doing.

steveb

11:14 pm on Jan 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

"All the looking at Google in the world can be fruitless when we don't understand what's causing changes in the SERPs"

Not looking sure isn't going to help you more!

Burying heads in the sand is no way to go. Studying your serps every day is a clear positive with no downside. Learning to understand things better should be a daily mission for webmasters.